FC Zestaponi
 |
|
| Full name | Football Club Zestafoni |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Zesta, Feroelebi (Ferroians), Margvelebi (Margvetians) |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Ground |
David Abashidze Stadium Zestafoni, Georgia |
| Capacity | 4,558 |
| Owner |
 Ilia Kokaia
|
| Manager |
Giorgi Mikadze
|
| 2014–15 | Umaglesi Liga, 16th (expelled) |
| Website | Club home page |
Football Club Zestafoni is a Georgian football club based in Zestafoni. They play their home games at David Abashidze Stadium. Zestafoni was founded on 18 June 2004 by the initiative of the shareholders of JSC Giorgi Nikoladze Zestafoni Ferro-Alloy Plant.
At that time Zestafoni have their own club FC Metallurg Zestafoni. A new club was formed as Margveti Zestafoni joined Pirveli Liga and promoted in the first season. Margveti was a member of Umaglesi Liga and achieved their best result in 1995–96 by finishing runner-up.
From the beginning of the 20th century football was given rise in Georgia. In 1906 the first football fan club was founded in Tbilisi. This happened by the patronage of Mr. Lgotac. He was the one who on 23 February 1907 established the first football club in Georgia. The Club, called "Comet", had its own regulations, funds, uniforms and a stadium.
Though it should be mentioned, that football was played far earlier in Georgia, mainly in the sea-side cities, first of all in Poti, where local groups competed in "passing/tossing a ball" with British mariners. That's why Poti is considered to be a cradle of Georgian football.
As to Zestafoni, in out city, football has been played since the beginning of the 20th century. First football players from Zestafoni were students of the local gymnasium (currently secondary school #1). According to our data, Zestafoni football team held its first match with one of the clubs of western Georgia (according to different sources Senaki or Ozurgeti) in 1918, during a celebration organized to commemorate Independence of Georgia. First international match held in Zestafoni was also during the independence period, in 1920. Zestafoni team competed with a group of British Occupational Forces and defeated it by 2–1.
In the 1920s Zestafoni football players held various matches with teams of neighboring cities. In 1927 first Football Championship in held in Georgia. First Champion of Georgia is Team of Batumi.
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